I want to Thank You All so much for your kind words of support on my previous Anniversary post. I am so deeply touched and moved by your generosity and truly sweetest of hearts! Today I am sharing a great old/new idea of giving. A "Giving Garden" . . . old in that back during both World Wars I and II citizens across the world planted Victory Gardens to help out with public food shortages.
New in that Andria Post Ergun of The Alternative Gardener contacted me yesterday with a similar idea and asked me to join her in spreading the word of creating a "Giving Garden" within our gardens to donate to Food Pantries, Shelters for the Homeless, Survival Centers and Food Banks in our areas the world over. People are struggling here in our country and in all lands across this planet.
I plant my veggies in with flowering shrubs, perennials and annuals to try to camouflage my food from rabbits mostly! Many years it works out fine, but not last year so it seems I need fencing. I planted enough to share with the rabbits but it is unfortunate they do not care to share with me!
I will be planting extra vegetables this year to share with others,
who might be caught in the net of economic troubles. I feel so outraged and disappointed with how our "leaders" have dealt with this economic downfall . . . though I will continue to call my representatives in congress and my president pleading for them to act justly, I will not wait but will act according to my conscience. I love sharing fruit with the wildlife that coexist on this land with me.
Apples fall and accommodate other creatures reach.
These little guys are more than welcome to the fallen apples.
There is always more than enough to go around and I will share my harvests with others in need this year too. Instead of just feeling angry about what is not being done I will feel better just doing something myself.
I will be offering some of my freshest and juiciest apples.
Native Blueberries too!
Leaving plenty for my feathered friends such as this Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
They pick with their beaks while my fingers gingerly gather these perfect berries.
I will share one quarter of each container I harvest. They are tiny berries that take a good amount of time to pick... and I do so covet them! Just last week I finished my last bottle of frozen berries. They are so delicious in smoothies. What a luxury!
Every meal is not treated as a celebration, but maybe they should be in our hearts and minds considered so. During the growing season I feel so blessed with plentiful harvests and beauty all around me, that a dear friend and I get together once a month or more, for champagne luncheons to celebrate and be thankful. Though I struggle as an artist and farmer, I am so lucky to live in a paradise and have a warm cozy shelter to call home. In the summer I love to make large salads in big bowls filled with goodies like beans, local goat's cheese, nuts, grated carrots, beets and some sort of fruit . . . maybe dried apricots all mixed with herbs, gardens greens, virgin olive oil and lemon! The variety changes with what happens to be in the garden and refrigerator. I can not recall the saying that goes something like . . . civilizations will evolve to higher planes, when they can no longer lift a morsel of food to their mouths, while others are hungry or starving. I am in no way trying to say that we should feel guilty for what we have . . . in fact I think . . . if we have abundance then we should rejoice. Here is to sharing our abundance . . . joyfully growing and giving. Please check out The Alternative Gardener and consider planting a "Giving Garden" of your own. I know that many share in so many ways with those less fortunate . . . or neighbors and friends struggling with illness or losses. I know of the generous spirit that lives in this gardening community . . . I see and read it in your posts, your comments and your worlds. Andria and I would love to hear what you think of this project . . . be sure to visit her site and let her know what you think.
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45 comments:
What a great post, Carol. I think it's smart to act rather than sit around and cry about how things are. Kudos to you!
what a great idea - and it really is true its better to give than receive.
Hi Carol,
Fantastic idea, especially when you think about the amount of food wasted in food stores because it 'isn't perfect' if we weren't so picky about having perfet apples, carrots etc there would be far fewer people starving.
Hi Carol,
The University of Delaware, where I am a grad student, has opened what we call a community garden and we were responsible for over 3 tons of vegetables that were given to the community food banks last fall. You can read more about it at http://ag.udel.edu/communitygarden/
The woman responsible for starting the garden, Alissa, has moved on to Penn State but her work will continue.....
Lovely photos:)
I can only imagine how thankful those who receive a part of your bounty will be. I had had a thought that churches could also plant a type of Victory Garden on part of their property and have the members help maintain the garden and then hand out their bounty to those in need as well.
Dear Carol, How extraordinary that you should choose to write about this most important subject at this time. Just a couple of days ago I found myself looking at pictures of Hyde Park in London which had been dug up, during the Second World War, to provide space for Londoners to cultivate vegetables as part of 'Dig For Victory'. I am also just old enough to have benefitted from the generosity of the American 'LeaseLend'.
What you propose here is without a shadow of doubt both practical and warm hearted. I do not grow any vegetables but there are always ways in which it is possible to help those less fortunate than ourselves. That we all have a moral duty is something you clearly recognise.
Excellent post Carol! When we first started planning our orchard, everyone thought we were crazy. What on earth do two people need with an entire orchard!? We're not daunted though. There's a wonderful organization here called "Village Harvest". Their volunteers will come and pick your excess fruit from your orchard before it spoils, and then distribute the food to food banks, and/or make jams to sell to raise money for the food banks. You get your trees cleaned up of excess fruit, the food banks get to stock up on nutritious food items. It's good for everyone!
This is so awesome. you are my hero. I want to get the schools around here galvanized into doing food gardens for the food bank, but I need more time, some funding, some strong bodies...and some enthusiasm from teachers. A work in progress.
30 years ago nearly when my children were small I tried to encourage the schools into gardening projects with the children. I took them on trips to my allotment and also took vegetables into the school as some children had no idea where their food came from.
In two schools I was very much involved with starting gardens although they became more for natural habitats than gardening. They are both still there to this day.
Now I see it is quite a fashionable thing to do in schools.
Gardening and sharing go hand in hand, real gardening not the hyped up showmanship we watch on television.
Growing food to help feed hungry people is a most noble endeavor, Carol. We will put our thinking caps on about ways to help locally. Our veggie plot is minimal and the blueberry bushes miniscule, how lovely your place is! Abundance shines through the photos. Farmer's markets are a good place to start, maybe suggesting leftovers go to the places that feed shut ins. Lots of thoughts swirling about this. :-)
Frances
How beautiful Nature is... is always giving giving giving out of its endless bounties... I see that apple tree as if bending before us... stretching out its arms filled with apples so that we can pick as many as we want... Thanks YOU Father.... Don’t we just have an amazing Creator! thank YOU Father! and thank "you" for sharing such lovely pictures with us.... I've been inspired.
cielo
A beautiful post about what pure/true love is all about ... simple abundance. You are a gift that keeps on giving, dear Carol. Happy Valentine's Day <3
This is a wonderful idea, we have some versions of it around here in White Rock. There is a retired man who offers to pick the excess fruit, and deliver it to the food banks. We did have a program called "plant a row" with the extra produce donated to the food bank.
So many times it is hard for those who are struggling to purchase fresh fruit, and veg, because the costs are just too high. We shouldn't take it for granted that everyone gets to enjoy it all the time.
Not everyone can afford, or has access to a garden plot. I am sure it will be greatly appreciated when you donate your produce.
Jen
Carol,
The CSA we belonged to last year gave all the not picked up food boxes to the food bank every week. This is a great post and a wonderful thing you are doing.
Did you see the news last week a segment called HALF this family had a 14 yo daughter that talked them into selling their 1.5 million dollar house and giving half to the needy. They ending up giving away $800,000 and moving into what I'd call a very nice house for $800,000. Such noble people.
Lastly the deer eating apples reminded me of a day in the woods of a park where 4-5 deer were reaching up and eating apples, we watched for over an hour.
Thank you dear Carol for this article!
Hello Carol, you are so blessed and privilege because you are kindhearted and generous, you are an old soul. You deserve the best in this lifetime and beyond. How wonderful it is to be of service to the less privilege! If only i am a bit nearer it will be a pleasure to help you in gardening and picking those fruits. And of course i would love to eat also your blueberry preserve and the fresh apples, which we dont have much in the tropics. I havent had the feeling how to harvest apples, though have only seen some fruiting trees in Taiwan, Australia and Sweden. Oh i love the way you do things, really. But i wonder why you are not visited by destructive insects and diseases, as your plants seem to be very healthy and productive.
Congratulations and Happy Valentine's.
Such a moving post! I've always loved the idea of planting a giving garden. I was hoping to donate our extra veggies last year to a shelter but the weather was bad and the tomatoes had blight so we barely had anything to harvest. I love the pics with the deer!
I will put my thinking cap on too Carol. I've only just started to grow a little veg, but as my garden develops I'll be thinking along these lines.
I used to donate our duck eggs, but our darling free ranging ducks kept hiding their nests in new spots and I didn't want to risk donating eggs that were a little less than fresh!
I agree with you.
Share and giving are ways of thinking that are important for Nature and the world.
Unfortunately the current leaders do not seem to have such a thought.
However, I think that the human being will come across the situation that they must share sometime.
Carol, what a beautiful heart you have! It shines through in your inspired words and glowing photographs. You inspired me with this post, for certain. We may not have room to plant an extra row, but we often have extra to share with neighbors and family and perhaps some of that should be regularly going to the food bank. Bless you! (And it looks like you live in paradise to me. :)
What a wonderful thing you are doing. The pictures are great and everything looks so appetizing. I had to snicker at a couple of the pics of deer and birds, everything had a mouth full. I wish apples would keep our deer happy but they insist on roses, columbines and anything else they can sink their teeth into that I would prefer they didn't. They think I planted one big salad bar just for them.
It is so great to read all of your comments! I know this community is filled with generous large hearted folks! So good to know of your participation in heartfelt projects! Please do not forget that this is Andria's idea ... I am helping her spread the word... her site is - http://thealternativegardener.blogspot.com/2010/02/pantry-gardens.html
Thank you as always for your thoughtful supportive words!! Carol
Wonderful venture Carol.
Hi Carol~~ We've got the "Plant a Row For the Hungry" here. It seems to be very successful. I've usually got more than enough pears to donate. LOL
Carol, what a kind-hearted and generous soul you are! You are so right that if we wait for the "powers that be" to even make any attempt at solving this issue, we'll be waiting for a very long time.
Here in Philadelphia, there is a program called PhilAbundance which local restaurants, groceries, and our CSA contribute to. But the rules are really strict, and ban the contribution of any grocery items that are out of code. So the local Trader Joes, instead of donating food throws it away. I have several friends who are devoted to "dumpster diving" on those days to recover this amazing abundance of food which they give away to anyone in need.
I applaud your efforts to make a contribution in your own way. I am hopeful that many others will follow your example. You are a star in my book!
Thank you, Carol (and Andria) for helping me to see things in another way. It's one thing to donate money to a food bank (not to diminish its importance, mind you) but to give the gift of food which one has lovingly tended is a much more human link. It keeps us mindful that fresh food is meant to be enjoyed by each of us. (I appreciate the saying that you paraphrased.)
On a personal note, I am well aware that you share the abundance of your beautiful gardens. And your gratitude is one of the foundations of your work. Your willingness to do more is inspiring.
Thoughtful post here Carol. We too share our harvest with neighbors / friends / Relatives / needy as and when. there is no greater joy than the Joy of Giving n Sharing. The apples look luscious, Ripe n Red! So crunchy n tempting :):)
It is a lovely generous idea, much appreciated by those in need, I'm sure. I love your photos. What a fabulous garden you have.
I love your idea Carol, of sharing your bounty not only with people but with the wildlife that shares your yard. Your apples on the ground might not be good enough to give to people, but are surely well appreciated by the deer. Your willingness and encouragement to give to others less fortunate renews my faith that there are many good people out there wanting to help. Kathy
It is a lovely generous idea, maybe its needed in my country too (Sweden)Lovely pictures. Have a nice weekend/Gela
I love this idea! I've wondered if our local food bank would take produce and this year I will make the extra effort to call and find out. We always have more tomatoes than we know what to do with and so many blueberries went to waste in our garden last year.
I can't believe the apples on your tree! The apples from ours seem to have worms in them and as much as I'd love to share them with people I'm afraid they'd be a bit turned off by them :) Luckily the birds don't mind.
Your garden truly looks like a Garden of Eden. Love the picture of the deer with the apple in its mouth.
I am horrified by recent political happenings too. The recent Supreme Court decision,for example. And the bankers still getting huge bonuses.
Just when things look like they might be headed for a fix, the pendulum swings the other way again. It's disheartening, even sickening.
Carol,
This is such a thoughtful and heart-warming post. Your garden is so plentiful, and makes for many happy critters. Many of the gals I worked with prior to returning to school donate extras from their gardens to the local food shelf, and it is wonderful to give others the opportunity to enjoy fresh, organic produce. I am an advocate for local farms, CSA's, and Farmer's Markets. I have such a small garden, that the extras aren't enough to supply the food shelf, though I do enjoy sharing with neighbors. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and your inspiration! :)
Carol, Sharing on this level is a wonderful idea! Thanks for letting us know about it~ I love the appple munching dear deer shots! Happy Valentine's Day~~gail
Carol, I see that at least one other poster mentioned the Plant a Row for the Hungry program that was started by the Garden Writers Association. It's an idea similar to yours, taken out to communities on an organized basis. You and Andria are to be commended for "paying it forward." And what great photos!
aloha carol, our international cooking group just does that for a local food bank that feeds many people in need in our area. We also share bountiful harvests from each others gardens including harvesting 2nds from farmers lots and wild mangoes, avocados and bananas from the jungles....great post and thanks for spreading the word on victory gardens.
Andria and you have certainly come up with a beautiful idea Carol - thank you for this post which will make your readers think about the food they produce in a different way
K
Carol, I firmly believe, like you, that the way to accomplish things like giving back to community is to just do it yourself. In the end that builds community anyhow. (Why it took me so long to understand that, I don't know, but I think moving to a small town helped.)
Your description of the summer salad certainly had me wishing for fresh veggies! My original plans for this spring were to plant more veggies but that was on the condition that I would have some new beds built for the flowers. So much rain this winter has delayed everything. But if I'm lucky, I'll get it done and have more produce to share with others less fortunate than I.
Carol,
Your post is lovely. The insight that gardeners share their bounty with all living creatures (whether we like it or not) is so true! We have some hungry little bunnies in our garden. As usual, your stunning photos lift my spirit.
Thanks for spreading the word about giving gardens! Also, thanks for teaching me about the blogging world. Still learning...
Beautiful post Carol, very thought provoking and inspiring. Your deer pictures are beautiful, they seem very pleased with their fallen apples.
You are such a generous soul, Carol. It's wonderful to read of your interests and projects. I'd love to have apple trees...even ONE apple tree would be nice;-) I know all of many of the orchards around us donate. Are you planning to participate in the Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living program on my blog? Just a tiny bit about something you do to live 'green'...I know there are so many ways! I'm trying to remind people to join in since the deadline is March 1st. I hope you will~! Jan
Lovely post, Carol. Those pretty little deer just captured my heart. I've subscribed to a movement called 'plant an extra row' or something similar to that. It's such a great idea - we should all do t hisand quantify our efforts! I felt so proud bringing my bounty to the local drop off last summer.
Your words move me, Carol. And the images from your garden are so beautiful. I love the idea of a Giving Garden and I'll check out the Alternative Gardener. In my own small way I also give my berries and tomatoes to friends, relatives and neighbours. But the concept of 'giving' like the way you put it sounds wonderful!
Wish you a very happy Valentine's Day, dear Carol.
You are so right, dear Carol!
As for the pictures, I am especially amazed by those with tons of apples!
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